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My Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Drumsticks are an easy and economical weeknight dinner. It also makes for a great meal prep! I’m using my go-to Panda Express orange chicken glaze which I doubled for this recipe. The best part is that there will be leftover sauce which I simply strained and placed in the freezer for a future meal! Serve over white rice or with your favorite veggies. It’s so flavorful. I really think you are going to love it.
How to make my Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce
I first showed you this recipe in my THE ORIGINAL ORANGE CHICKEN BY PANDA EXPRESS {COPYCAT RECIPE} which has been really popular! This time, I’m doubling the recipe so that we have enough sauce for slow cooking. The leftover sauce freezes beautifully and I served mine with chicken thighs the second time around. Equally as flavorful!
You’ll need:
- Fresh Ginger, minced OR powdered ginger, to taste
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Orange Juice
- White Vinegar
- Soy Sauce, reduced sodium is best
- Fresh Orange Wedges
- Scallions (Green Onions), sliced
- Salt and Pepper
Everything goes into the slow cooker on high for about 3 hours. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper!
And to thicken the sauce, you’ll need:
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch + 4 tbsp Orange Juice
At this point, I like to test the chicken drumsticks with a thermometer to see where we are at. Fully cooked chicken needs to reach 165 degrees. I ended up only needing another 30 minutes.
So I added my sauce and allowed it to cook on high for that extra 30 minutes.
The sauce thickened into a nice glaze, but there is just one more step.
Remove the chicken drumsticks to a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until golden.
Serve with cooked white rice and a green veggies, such as snow peas, broccoli or edamame. Garnish with green onions and white sesame seeds. I also like to pull a few of those orange wedges for garnish. They are full of flavor now.
Don’t forget to spoon over some of the sauce!
Did you make my recipe for Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Drumsticks? Leave a comment below and let me know what you thought. You can also tag me with your photos on Instagram @aimee_stock I love seeing your creations 🙂
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE:
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger minced OR powdered ginger, to taste
- 1/2 c White Sugar
- 1/2 c Brown Sugar
- 1/2 c Orange Juice
- 1/2 c White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 tbsp Soy Sauce reduced sodium is best
- Fresh Orange Wedges
- 1 large Scallions Green Onions, sliced
- dash Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
FOR THE CORNSTARCH SLURRY:
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Orange Juice or water
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
- 6 jumbo Chicken Drumsticks or thighs or breasts
- White Rice cooked
- Scallions (Green Onions) for cooking plus more for garnish
- White Sesame Seeds for garnish
- Salt for finishing the dish
Instructions
- Add the chicken and sauce ingredients to a slow cooker on high heat for about 3 hours (depends on the size and choice of chicken). The best thing to do is test with a thermometer. You are shooting for 165 degrees.
- When there is about 30 minutes remaining, mix together the orange juice and cornstarch to create a slurry. Add this to the slow cooker and give a good stir. Continue cooking until thickened.
- Remove the chicken to a baking sheet and place under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Keep a close eye on this as it tends to go quickly.
- Serve over white rice and with your favorite veggies. Garnish with green onions and white sesame seeds. I also really think this dish benefits from a sprinkling of salt right before enjoying!
- TO SAVE ANY REMAINING SAUCE, simply strain, cool and freeze for another time. It's great to use with chicken thighs and rice. It's even more flavorful now as it has slow cooked with the chicken!